Wolves In The Throne Room on new album Thrice Woven

Extreme Takeover: Making music rooted in the very earth itself, Wolves In The Throne Room influenced a whole generation of extreme bands - and they’re back to reclaim their crown

A lot’s happened Stateside in the three years since Wolves In The Throne Room last released an album. Trump’s election has shifted politics to the right, and his party have brought in a generally regressive agenda, with climate change denial proving particularly painful for this band. Their elemental black metal gains so much power from their deep connection to the majestic forests enshrouding their hometown of olympia, Washington, known to its inhabitants as Cascadia.

“It’s agonising; I cry about it all the time,” says drummer Aaron Weaver, the sincere spokesman for the band he formed with his younger brother, guitarist/vocalist Nathan, in 2003. Yet despite these environmental concerns, he makes it clear that discussing politics isn’t on the agenda.

“I don’t wanna talk about that shit,” he asserts. “our music is mythic; it’s not operating in this world. For me it’s personal, it’s a feeling of grieving and sadness, and that feeling turns into music. The earth will abide, no matter what happens to human beings.”

Lamentation is but one part of the force and magic of forthcoming sixth album Thrice Woven, a collection of songs born of feral urge and spiritual instinct, rooted as much in their homeland as in the ancient european folklore that so inspires them – a key part of the escapism so vital to black metal’s ability to transport listeners away from normality. It’s all articulated with the gnashing of teeth that made an indelible impact upon the release of their 2006 debut, Diadem Of 12 Stars.